


Pasiphaë's Baby

by Sir_Thopas



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Centauri, Interspecies, Multi, Mystery, Narns, Pre-Series, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-11-20 03:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/580614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_Thopas/pseuds/Sir_Thopas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Centauri are known for collecting secrets. Vir, as he approaches his Day of Ascension, is about to discover his own family's dark past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Vir Cotto clutched the armrest in a death grip as the shuttle began its decent toward Centauri Prime. There was a distinct possibility that he might vomit before this trip was over and by this point he really just hoped they were on the ground before it happened. Every time he pictured his Uncle's face another wave of nausea would overtake him, leaving him caught between dry-heaving and hyperventilating. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. On the bright side, perhaps he would die of suffocation before they arrived; he could use a bit of luck.

A hand suddenly dropped down on his shoulder, causing Vir to shriek and nearly leap out of his chair in surprise. He turned his head to see Versh hanging off of him and clutching a glass of wine, apparently already well on his way to being tipsy. His travel bag was slung precariously across his shoulder. He didn't even notice how it would whack Vir in the face every time Versh lost his grip and wobbled drunkenly. "Great Maker, you're as white as death," Versh drawled out. "Come on, what's the worst that can happen? So, Uncle will go on and on about how you're a disappointment to the Cotto name and blah, blah, blah. We've all heard that speech before. You might as well relax while you can. Look! They even serve free drinks on this shuttle!"

"Those drinks aren't free," Vir gritted out.

Versh blinked blearily at the red liquid in his glass. "Oh. I guess Uncle will have to pay for it then."

Vir slouched down in his seat and groaned.

"No, come on, get up. You are ruining my buzz." With that Versh set his drink down and pulled his younger brother out of the chair, pushing him towards the restroom. Versh and Vir were the second and third sons of Lady Meriot Cotto, respectively. Fraternal twins, to be exact, and although the two looked nothing alike they were exactly the same in one respect: neither could be considered handsome. Vir was too practical to lie to himself; he knew exactly what he looked like. He was flabby and awkward and he stooped over. He had been derisively referred to as "the Hunchback" by the other boys at school. Versh, on the other hand, stood up straight and proud which only emphasized his prodigious height. At six feet, six inches he towered over everyone else, like some brash, flashy giant. After his height, the other immediately noticeable feature was his mouth. It dominated the rest of his face. Versh had a very heavy, square jaw and a wide mouth filled with rather large teeth. It made him appear almost comedic. Unlike Vir, however, Versh had never been ridiculed for his looks. He had always been popular and a favorite among the other boys at school. No one cared that he was ugly, because he made up for it by being so distinctly... Centauri.

"What's going on?" Vir demanded as Versh shoved him into the restroom.

"You'll seeeeee..." Versh sang as he squeezed in behind him and closed the door. The tiny restroom was typical of Centauri shuttles and could barely fit two people inside together.

Much less three.

Vir stared at the strange Human female standing there in nothing but her undergarments and waving an electric razor threateningly in front of Versh's face. "This better be the best damn dinner of my life, Cotto," she warned before taking the razor to her head. Unlike most Humans, this female was mostly bald like a Centauri woman, except for a long strip of hair running lengthways down her head, like a crest going in the wrong direction. "I can't believe I'm shaving off my mohawk for this."

"You'll look beautiful!" Versh assured her as he opened up the bag to reveal a blue silk dress with a small ruffle around the hemline. Vir narrowed his eyes as he stared at it, realizing that it looked distinctly familiar.

"Why did you take one of Iduna's dresses with you to Immolan V?" Vir demanded.

"I don't ask you what you do with your spare time, so don't ask me what I do with mine." Versh helped the Human into the dress and tightened the laces in the back, forcing the girl to suck in her breath, her face flushing red with effort. "There! Now she looks like a proper Centauri woman!" He grinned and knocked a few stray hairs off of her now completely bald head.

"Yes," Vir agreed hesitantly. "But why does she look that?"

"Vir, I'd like to introduce you to Lady Amora Civitas! Actually, her name is Becky and she's backpacking her way across the galaxy, but from now on you are to call her Lady Civitas. She will be joining us for dinner this evening."

"Are you crazy?!" Vir demanded. "You can't take her to dinner! Uncle will kill you! You know how he feels about other species! And the Head of our House is going to be there tonight! If you ruin this with one of your pranks..."

Versh waved his fears off. "No one will suspect a thing. Her Centauri is almost perfect, which is amazing because Human tongues are all wrong for the language."

"Hey!"

"Wrong for some things, great for other things," Versh corrected with a leer. "And if she makes any faux pas we can just say she's a poor country bumpkin from one of the colonies. Come on, it'll be fun! We'll all have a great time!"

Vir was now completely convinced that every god in the Centauri pantheon hated him with a fiery passion.

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Vir breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his Uncle had not bothered to greet them at the terminal. That meant he could put off his upcoming humiliation for just a little while longer. The only ones that were waiting for Versh and himself were their siblings- Iduna and Ormano. Both of them were the children of Father's first wife, Vanni. Because of this they took precedence over Versh and Vir in nearly everything. Whereas Ormano had been educated on Centauri Prime by some of the finest tutors the planet had to offer despite being the youngest of the five Cotto children, Versh and Vir had been shipped off to boarding school on Immolan V. At times, it felt like even the gods themselves had favored the children of his Father's first wife. Unlike Meriot, who was just as ugly as her sons, Lady Vanni Cotto had blessed her children with the same beauty and grace she was known for. Iduna had always been the belle of society and the girls seemed to practically fawn over Ormano. Vir and Versh had both felt their own small jealousies towards them, but in the end they were their siblings and the loved them. Perhaps in other families this was enough to drive children to rivalry, but for the Cottos it had never been much of a problem. Ormano and Iduna had been weighed down with so much responsibility at such a young age, being groomed especially for the roles they would someday take as the wife of a respected lord and the eventual Head and Lord of the Cotto family. It was especially difficult since their father was no longer alive to help shoulder the burden. Iduna was only five years older than Versh and Vir, but she acted more like another mother than a sister. Ormano was driven to become the great man the late Nofri Cotto had once been. A year younger than the twins, he had already been accepted into the Centauri Military Academy, but it had come at a heavy price. While Versh and Vir had been able to enjoy their childhoods, Ormano had been expected to act like an adult at all times and serve as the de facto head of Nofri Cotto's family in their father's absence.

"My boys!" Iduna called out, a happy grin on her face. "Who is this that you've brought with you?" Their sister eyed the human's dress with an air of suspicion.

"I'd like to introduce you to Lady Amora Civitas," Versh proclaimed with a sweep of his hand. "She comes from a very wealthy plantation family on Ragesh III. I met her on the shuttle and invited her to dinner. I'm sure Uncle won't mind."

Iduna and Ormano smiled at the Human, but Vir could tell they didn't believe a word Versh said. Still, let it not be said that the Cottos were without manners. "It's nice to meet you," Iduna said politely, bowing her head towards the girl, which the Human quickly copied.

As Iduna lowered her head in greeting Vir caught sight of something strange. "Your ponytail!" He exclaimed. "You shaved it off." It was shocking to see Iduna completely bald. If she could have gotten away with it, Iduna would have never shaved her head at all. She would have let her hair grow wild and loose, like the ancient worshipers of Li who devoted themselves to the ritual ecstasy of their goddess before they were conquered and civilized by the followers of Tuscano. Unlike Humans, almost all Centauri had either brown or black hair with very little variation, but Iduna had been unique. Her ponytail had been a shocking burst of red, deep and vibrant, in a sea of dark-colored crests. Iduna had loved her hair, almost to the point of vanity. Now she had shaved it off. What had changed?

Ormano gave out a laugh at Vir's surprise. Vir couldn't help but recoil from the sound. He doubted it could even be called a laugh; it was too mocking and cruel and bitter. Nothing like the way his brother should sound. "Her fiancé made her shave it off." Ormano spat out the word 'fiancé' like it was something disgusting.

Vir turned to Iduna in confusion. He didn't understand. He knew his sister's fiancé well. Lord Furna and Iduna had been engaged since she was five. In all that time he had never once cared about the way she wore her hair, so why now? "The engagement was broken," Iduna explained with a resentful, cheerless smile. "I'm now engaged to Liore Romino, the heir to the Romino House. He thought my ponytail was too immodest. He prefers the more conservative look."

He knew the House, of course. Everyone knew about the Rominos. They had produced eight of the finest Emperors the Centauri have ever seen. It was a huge step up from Lord Furna, who was merely a minor noble from a middling House, like the Cottos. Uncle, at the very least, must certainly be pleased with the match. Even so, Vir couldn't see how such a thing could have happened. It was almost impossible to break off an engagement once the contract had been signed. There had to be some sort of mitigating circumstance, but Vir had heard nothing while on Immolan V. Something was going on and by the looks on Iduna and Ormano's faces he knew he wouldn't like it.

"Anyway, we should all head back to Uncle's house," Iduna said in an attempt to sound nonchalant. "I'm sure you're all tired from your journey. You'll need to rest before dinner. It's in your honor, after all. Oh, I'm so proud that all three of you were accepted into the Military Academy."

Versh bit back a laugh as Vir gulped and nodded his head, too afraid to speak up and correct her. It didn't matter anyway. Uncle was bound to find out sooner or later and when he did everyone would know that only two of the Cotto brothers had been accepted.

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Dinner was an excruciating affair. Uncle Pagolo had always resented the fact that old Lord Cotto had forced him into taking in his brother-in-law's family after the death of Vir's father. Nofri Cotto's suicide was a tragic, romantic story that Iduna loved to tell to her younger siblings; he liked to think that it was her way of remembering them. She was the only one of the five Cotto siblings that had been old enough to actually remember their father and his third wife, Zanobi. As Iduna liked to tell it, Nofri had fallen in love with the beautiful Zanobi Nerisso. The Nerisso House had once been fairly influential nearly one hundred years ago, but had fallen so low that they were barely above the Houseless drifters that begged for their food on the streets. Nofri's father, the Head of their House, Lord Cotto, forbade the match at first, but Lord Cotto had always been known for his soft-heart and Nofri had been his favorite son. He relented in the end and the two wed. Their marriage had lasted only a year before Zanobi died in childbirth, along with their stillborn daughter. Nofri had been so devastated that he took his own life the next day. At least, that was how Iduna remembered it. Their mothers, Vanni and Meriot, refused to talk about Zanobi's death and their father's suicide, and Uncle Pagolo had never liked Nofri anyway so it was always better to refrain from asking him any questions about their father.

Since then, however, Vir and his family had lived in his Uncle's house as a charity case and Pagolo had never let them forget it. Most often, they ate in the kitchen with the servants instead of the grand dining hall with Uncle and his family. Occasionally, they were joined by Nigila, Uncle's first wife and Nofri's sister. When Uncle Pagolo had initially refused to take them in it had been Nigila who had gone to Lord Cotto and pleaded with him to intercede on their behalf. His Uncle never forgave her for that.

Nigila was sitting next to Vanni now, despite being Uncle's first wife. By all rights she should be seated at his right-hand, but that space was currently occupied by Arus, Uncle's third wife and favorite. She was the mother of his only child- Kiron. Despite the fact that he was merely the son of a third wife, Kiron was afforded all the privileges of a first wife's son. Pagolo spoiled him rotten, but he still somehow managed to turn out to be a sweet kid. Besides, Vir was Kiron's favorite cousin and Vir had been never chosen to be anyone's favorite anything before. Vir smiled at the way Kiron mournfully held up a spoonful of treel soup to his mouth. He quickly pinched his nose closed and gulped it down, as though he was trying to keep from actually tasting it. The entire act was too childish for someone of Kiron's age to indulge in, but Vir couldn't help but be amused by the teenager who shot him a mischievous grin. With Arus seated on his right, the chair to the left of Uncle remained empty; Pagolo always left one seat empty in memory of his second wife, who had died the year before of a cancer in the bones. At the head of the table was, of course, Lord Cotto and his young wife Cione. Cione was still a teenager, barely old enough to be married let alone to a man who was nearly 150. Lord Cotto was mostly deaf and practically senile, but until he actually died he was still the Head of their House. Vir knew that his Uncle had designs on the position, but if anyone had the better claim it was Ormano. He was the son of a first wife and was an actual blood relative to the Lord, unlike Pagolo who was merely the child of a third wife and had married into the family after he had being fostered by Lord Cotto.

The only person Vir had not been expecting to see was Lord Liore Romino himself. He hadn't really believed Iduna when she had said she was now engaged to him, but here he was. Liore was watching "Lady Civitas" in rapt disgust as she tried to mimic the way Versh was eating. She looked like an ill-bred peasant, but, at least, a Centauri peasant. Still, Vir could see that the brivari was already beginning to affect her. Humans couldn't handle brivari as well as Centauri and she was starting to sway in her chair, her head following her spoon as though she had to catch it before it escaped.

Across the table Vir could see that Arus was whispering something in Pagolo's ear. He nodded along to whatever she was saying and then suddenly stood up, picking up his glass of brivari and holding it aloft towards Vir and Versh. "I have something to say," he announced. "As we all know we are here to celebrate the success of Versh and Vir, two boys that I am proud to claim have grown into a pair of fine young gentlemen. I know I have been hard on you; it's not easy growing up without a father. But know that everything I did, I did it to make you stronger. And now here we are," Pagolo gestured to everyone at the table, a big smile across his face. "You have graduated school with good marks, your Day of Ascension is in less than a month, and then you two will be off for the Military Academy, bringing even more honor to the Cotto name! So I say Val-too!"

Vir mumbled his cheer into his glass while everyone else gave out a resounding cry of "Val-too!" The Human girl, unfortunately, had lost control of all motor skills by this point and when she thrust her glass into the air the brivari went sloshing over the rim and all over Liore Romino. Liore leapt from the table like he had been burned and immediately began to pat down his silk waistcoat in a desperate attempt to keep it from staining. "You stupid bitch!" He snapped. "Can't you do anything right?"

Versh and Ormano jumped up from their seats at the insult. "Don't you dare call her that!" Versh yelled back. "Apologize at once!"

Liore just laughed mockingly at him. "I'll call her whatever I like. I the head of the Romino House. She's some dim-witted tawloo that you threw a dress on. What backwater colony did you pull her out of, Versh?"

The Human, whose face had been growing steadily redder with each passing comment, stood up slowly and carefully. "That backwater colony that I'm from? It's called Earth," she answered him before curtsying before Lord Cotto and Versh. Vir was amazed she was able to do so without falling on her face. "Thank you for the dinner, Versh. It has been a lovely evening." Then she was striding from the great hall with as much dignity as drunk Human could manage.

The silence that descended upon the table was like the calm before a storm. Within seconds Pagolo exploded in a fit of anger, throwing his napkin onto the table and jabbing his spoon threateningly at Versh. "You brought a Human into my house?!"

Versh pointed wildly at Vir. "He was rejected from the Military Academy!"

"I will poison you like in the old days," Vir hissed at his brother.

Their Uncle just placed his head in his hands and groaned. Meriot looked at her two boys and just shook her head; she had been disappointed by them time and time again that by now she just expected it from them. Ormano and Iduna looked away in embarrassment for their sakes while Liore just laughed cruelly at their expense.

Old Lord Cotto raised one shaky spoonful of soup towards his mouth and sipped. "This is delicious!" He proclaimed, completely oblivious to everything that was happening around him.


	2. Chapter 2

Vir lay sprawled out across his bed, unable to think of anything except his Uncle's disappointed face. What was the point of even celebrating his Day of Ascension if he just kept messing everything up like the stupid child he was? He wanted to be able to prove to his Uncle that he wasn't a burden, that he hadn't wasted his time and money taking him in and caring for him and making sure he got a good education. What was he supposed to do now? He had no future, no prospects. He was the third son of a second wife. Unimportant. Expendable. Vir gave a yelp when Versh's grinning face suddenly appeared above him. "Cheer up," he commanded. "It could have gone a lot worse."

Vir threw him an incredulous look. "How? Uncle threatened to throw me out on the street!"

Versh snorted and collapsed onto the bed beside him. "He wouldn't really do it. Old Lord Cotto is our grandfather. He wouldn't stand for it."

"Lord Cotto also thinks my name is Ugolina," Vir pointed out grimly. "He can't protect us anymore."

"Hey! Great Aunt Ugolina was a fine old dame. I'd be honored if Lord Cotto confused me for her," Versh said with a laugh, but Vir could see the tightness around his eyes. He knew that Vir had a point.

Vir and Versh lifted their heads in unison when they heard the door slowly creak open. Iduna poked her head through and grinned at them. "I thought I might find you hiding in here," she teased as she slipped into the room, followed closely behind by Ormano.

"I'm still mad at your fiancé!" Versh called out as the two settled on the bed. Vir flailed around as he found himself pushed to the side- and on his own bed, too! Versh grabbed hold of him before he could fall and wrapped his long arms around all three of them.

Ormano barked out a harsh laugh that sounded anything but amused. "I'm always mad at Liore," he muttered, stealing a glance at Iduna who quickly looked away.

Vir sat up and looked his elder sister in the eye. He was tired of all the hidden meanings Ormano kept throwing around about Liore. The whole situation didn't make any sense and he wanted answers. "Seriously, what happened? How did – why – was your contract with Lord Furna broken?"

"Don't be nosy," Iduna replied lightly and flicked him on the shoulder. "Liore is very powerful. The Cottos are nothing compared to the Rominos. In these sorts of situations, it's… well, you just have to take what you can get."

"But doesn't he already have two wives?" Vir protested. "Lord Furna is a widower. If you had stayed with him you would have been his first wife."

"Look, it wasn't my choice, so just drop it," Iduna snapped. Vir couldn't help but pull back at that. Iduna had always been patient and kind to him, even when others hadn't. Iduna sighed at the surprised look on his face and said quietly, "I just don't want to talk about anymore. Can we please just let it go? I know! Tell me what you and Versh want for your Day of Ascension. And don't say brivari, Versh."

"Women!"

"… Alright, I'll get you a nice bottle of brivari. Vir, what do you want?"

"I don't know," Vir sighed. "I don't even know if I'm going to have a Day of Ascension."

Iduna rolled her eyes. "Stop being so melodramatic. Of course you are. Just because you didn't get accepted into the Military Academy doesn't mean that Uncle will hide you away like Tully. He'll use his connections and get you a job somewhere, possibly in the government like cousin Merio. Now, what do you want?"

"I know what I want!" Ormano piped up.

Iduna groaned at the childishness of her brothers. "This isn't your Day of Ascension. You don't get any presents. You'll get some next year."

"This is a present for all of us," Ormano huffed out. "Look, we'll all be leaving soon. Iduna's getting married, Versh is going off to the Academy, and Vir will get a job somewhere. Who knows when the next time we'll all be able to get together like this will be?"

"What do you want?"

Ormano grinned. "I propose that we all take a holiday to the old Cotto manor. It's been years since we've seen Tully and Aunt Cipria and it'll be nice to get away from Liore and Uncle before you're all shipped off and I'm stuck here by myself."

Vir leaned back and thought about the old manor. It had belonged to their father before his death. It had to have been at least five years since he had seen it. He had always wondered why Uncle had never claimed it as his own; since he had taken in Nofri's family it was perfectly within his right to also take hold of his possessions. But Pagolo left it alone, despite the fact that it was far grander than his own home. Instead, he had allowed Aunt Cipria and Tully to live there undisturbed and on a comfortable allowance too, showing a generosity not usually seen from him. Other relatives had offered to buy it from him, but he had always refused. He wouldn't allow their aunt and disabled brother be kicked out of the only home they had known. It was probably the kindest thing their Uncle had ever done.

"That's what I want too," Vir said.

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The Cotto siblings stared up at the imposing manor as the sea churned behind them and the voices of the fishermen and their wives rose up from the little village not far away. The old stone building was more of a castle than a manor and had been built centuries ago. Supposedly, it had once belonged to Empress Mafalla and used as a fortress against Emperor Vili during the Civil War. After Mafalla's execution, it had been gifted to the Cottos for their loyal service to Vili and been well-loved ever since, but now it was beginning to show its age. Pieces of decorative stone that had once lined the roof had fallen and Vir could see several windows had been boarded up. It had fallen a long way since its glory days, but then again so had the Cottos.

The grand double doors suddenly swung open and the four siblings pulled back in shock as they came face to face with a Narn. Vir had never seen a Narn before, not in person at least, and he found himself fascinated as he studied the leathery, spotted visage. She didn't look like the Narns depicted in his schoolbooks. She wasn't dressed like some wild creature, but was instead outfitted with a leather chassis that she had paired with a voluminous red silk skirt. A strange mixture of Narn and Centuari fashion. She cocked her head at them and gazed at them appraisingly. Whatever she saw, it obviously left her feeling unimpressed.

"Who are you?" Versh demanded, his tone lost somewhere between outrage and pure bafflement.

Before the Narn could answer, Aunt Cipria was pushing her way through. "Children!" she called out, happy and delighted at their arrival. "I'm so glad you made it safely! Tully has been asking me non-stop for the past two days when you'll arrive."

Aunt Cipria was Zanobi's younger sister and had been nothing more than a teenager at the time of her sister's death. She had been Zanobi's favorite sibling and Old Lord Nerisso's only other child to share Zanobi's mother. To please his wife, Nofri had taken her in and fostered her in hopes of ensnaring a worthy husband for her. Their father had been Cipria's only hope of ever marrying at all. There was always something a little odd about Aunt Cipria. Vir wouldn't call her ugly, but still her appearance was just… off. Her chin was too large, her nose too pointed, and she was covered in large freckles. Of course, when Nofri and Zanobi died, it hadn't mattered if she had been the most beautiful girl on all of Centauri Prime. She had been left with only two choices: go back to her own impoverished family or stay with the Cottos as Tully's nurse with no hope of marriage. She had stayed. Aunt Cipria rushed forward and hugged each one of them fiercely, her graying ponytail bobbing in the wind. It was a little odd to see a woman of Cipria's age still wearing a ponytail; most middle-aged women would have shaved theirs off by now. But then most women her age would be married as well.

"Um, Aunt Cipria… ?" Iduna asked hesitantly as their aunt pulled away. Their sister eyed the Narn meaningfully, before darting back to look at Cipria.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Their aunt rush back up the stairs and grabbed the Narn by the arm, pulling her down the stairs towards them. Vir stood there in shock as the Narn simply looked amused at the way their aunt was manhandling her; Vir would have expected her break Cipria's arm in half for daring to touch her. "This is Na'Lin. Pagolo hired her a few years ago to help me with Tully. She wanted to come with us the last time Pagolo invited Tully and I for a visit, but, well… you know your Uncle."

"Well, I think it's great!" Ormano proclaimed. "It's nice to see a Narn who actually appreciates everything the Centauri has done for those people."

Cipria threw a worried glance at Na'Lin and laughed nervously. The Narn cocked her head at this and regarded their little brother with a cool, dangerous gaze. "If you're going to stay here, there's something you need to learn," she said. Her voice was calm and smooth, but it still sent shivers up Vir's spine. "Pagolo pays me to run his household. This manor, for all intents and purposes, is mine. You don't get to tell me what to do. I make the rules here and you will obey them or there will be consequences. Have I made myself clear?"

All four siblings threw each other worried glances. The Narn certainly had a lot of nerve talking to them like that. How did she know the Cotto children wouldn't tell their Uncle about how she had treated them? If he heard about this he would turn her out before she had even realized what had happened. They might not have been his Uncle's favorite people in the world, but there was no way he would pick a Narn over them. Vir glanced at Ormano and at the way his younger brother was silently fuming he knew that Pagolo would be getting a call about Na'Lin's behavior that very night.

Iduna didn't look too happy about the situation either, if her hard and stony expression was anything to go by. She refused to even look Na'Lin in the eyes, focusing instead on some distant spot above her shoulder. Even Versh disapproved; he stood there with his arms folded and frowning at the Narn in puzzlement.

Vir just shrugged and smiled weakly. "So, uh, what's for dinner?"

Na'Lin bared her teeth in an approximation of a smile. "Fresh spoo!" She called out before turning sharply on her heel and heading inside. Cipria, still holding onto her arm, followed her in.

Versh started making gagging sounds at the mere thought of spoo being served fresh. "Gross!"

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Vir watched Na'Lin help Tully with his food. It was possibly the most adorable thing he had ever seen. He had been scared of her when he first saw her on the stairs, but watching her coo and wipe spoo off of Tully's mouth just shattered whatever fear he may have had of her. Tully was Vir's older brother by three years and Meriot's firstborn son, although Pagolo had refused to allow Meriot to take him with her when he accepted the Cottos into his home. Instead, he had insisted that Tully remain hidden away in the old manor with Cipria because of his disability, only allowing the pair to visit for special occasions. Although Tully's body was strong and healthy as could be, mentally he had never progressed past that of a toddler.

Tully rocked forward and back in his chair as Na'Lin tried to coax him into eating another spoonful. Iduna glared at the two as she mournfully mashed around her own dinner. "How can Tully eat this?" She cried. "It's like he's turning into a Narn. My poor little brother. Pretty soon he'll just pick his food up with his hands and shovel it into his mouth like an animal."

"Leave him alone, he's happy," Vir insisted. "Besides, he eats like that anyway."

Vir caught sight of Ormano slinking into the dining room. He quietly slipped into his seat next to Iduna, scowling heavily at the bowl of spoo that awaited him.

"Where have you been lurking?" Versh demanded, leaning back in his chair. He had long since given up any pretense of eating.

Ormano didn't answer, but simply turned to Cipria. "I'm sorry, I know it's early, but we're really tired. It's been a long trip. Mind if we turn in early?"

"But you haven't even touched your food!" Cipria protested.

"Let them go," Na'Lin said lightly. "More for us!"

Ormano jerked his head for them to follow him and dutifully they got up one by one. He led them up the winding, ancient staircase towards their bedrooms where he slammed the door shut behind him. "I just talked to Uncle about the Narn," he spat out, gesturing towards the vidcom unit that looked so out of place against the ancient stone wall. "He told me to suck it up! That he put Na'Lin in charge for a reason and that if I didn't like it I should just come home! Can you believe that? Uncle wouldn't even knowingly invite a Human into his house, but he'd allow a Narn to bully his nephews and niece?"

"That is strange," Versh murmured. "Why would he even need to hire Na'Lin in the first place? I thought Aunt Cipria was doing just fine on her own. If she needed help, Uncle could have just sent one of his slaves. Why go to the trouble of hiring a Narn?"

"Especially after all the atrocities they committed during the Narn Revolt," Iduna pointed out. "Uncle Pagolo's brother used to own a plantation on Narn before they burned it down."

"She seems to really adore Tully though," Vir pointed out, but his siblings ignored him. He sighed and put his chin in his head as he watched his brothers and sister argue and conspire. This was how it often was between them. Vir was always finding himself pushed to the side.

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Vir awoke suddenly from a terrible dream. He laid quietly in his bed, pulling the covers up around his ears in an attempt to block out the sound of the wind rattling the glass in their panes. He had dreamt he was being chased some wild, alien creature. A Narn animal, perhaps. It was howling at him, nipping at his ankles, and every time Vir turned around to see how close it was all he saw were two glowing red eyes.

Vir sat up with a start, looking around as he realized that there really was something howling at there. He threw a glance at Versh, asleep in the next bed, but his twin just snored loudly, oblivious to the world. Vir quietly stood up and crept out of the room, intent on finding the source of the noise. He peeked out into the hallway, listening. It was definitely coming from somewhere inside the manor. Wincing with every creak and groan the floors made, Vir tiptoed through the house.

He came to a stop when he saw a door cracked open. There was light spilling out into the hallway and as Vir listened he could hear Tully crying loudly. Was that what he heard? The howling had sounded so different back in his own bedroom. It had been more animalistic, more wild. Vir moved closer, straining his ears. He could hear Na'Lin's soft voice underneath Tully's wailing. She was singing to him softly in her own Narn language. Vir couldn't understand the words, but the melody seemed so familiar. Maybe he heard it before.

Before Na'Lin could discover him lurking, Vir quickly raced back to his own room and tried to forget the nightmare that lurked at the edges of his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Vir cracked open his eyes, wincing against the harsh sunlight pouring in from the window. He had hardly gotten more than a handful of hours of sleep the night before, his mind plaguing him with frightening dreams and the imagined sounds of howling. "Time to wake up!" Iduna cheerfully sang as she burst into the room. "Everybody else has been up for hours already. You missed breakfast. Though, that's probably good thing. Na'Lin cooked." Iduna wrinkled her nose in disgust at the memory. Then she stopped and seemed to take in his pale cheeks and the dark circles under his eyes. "What's wrong?" She demanded. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for the cause as though she was going to hunt it down and tackle it in his defense.

"It's nothing!" Vir quickly responded, embarrassed at having gotten so worked up the night before over a couple of bad dreams. "I just had trouble sleeping."

Iduna frowned at that, not quite believing him, but nodded all the same. "Well, hurry up and get dressed then," she commanded and swept out of the room, her long skirts kicking up dust as they dragged across the floor behind her.

The others were already in the parlor by the time Vir made it out of the bedchamber. Iduna, Ormano, and Versh had draped themselves across the velvet, tufted sofas as they watched on in a mixture of horror and amusement of a Narn playing hide-and-seek. Tully crawled across the floor in search of Na'Lin, who was peeking out from behind a curtain. Although his legs were strong enough to support him, Tully had never been able to learn how to walk properly without help. Na'Lin ducked back behind the curtain just as Tully reached her. With a heavy "plop!" Tully collapsed onto his bottom and yanked the drapes away with a surprised and happy "Na!" The Narn swooped down and hugged him, cooing out praises as she coddled him.

It was the sweetest thing Vir had ever seen. He bit his lip, trying to keep back the laughter, and shot Ormano a smile, but his younger brother only rolled his eyes at the scene before him. It was obvious that he had already made up his mind about Na'Lin and nothing was going to change that, no matter how much she and Tully adored each other. Vir knew it was pointless to try to persuade him or any of the others to give Na'Lin a chance. With a sudden smile Vir turned to Tully; his siblings may not like Na'Lin, but they would do anything for Tully.

"Tully," Vir called out as he stepped up to his older brother. "Ormano, Iduna, and Versh are going to play too!" He held out his hand. "Will you help me find them?"

Tully was able to grasp the basics of what Vir was saying and with a sweet grin he latched onto Vir's hand and allowed his younger brother to pull him to his feet. He wobbled slightly, uncoordinated due to the way his feet seemed to turn inwards, but he managed to stay upright so long as Vir held his hand. Vir steadied him and then levelled a look at the others. "Well?" he demanded. "Go hide!"

They glanced at Na'Lin and then at each other before leaping up and scurrying off, the Narn trailing behind them. She shot him a confused, but pleased look and then disappeared.

"Are you ready to have fun, Tully?" Vir asked.

"Yes!" He crowed.

"Let's go!"

It was slow going, but they managed to make their way through the winding stone hallways. They had been built as a form of defense, for soldiers and nobles to spread out and escape in the event of a breach. In the modern world, this meant the old castle was particularly suited for hide-and-seek. Ten minutes past and they still had yet to find anyone. Vir was beginning to tire; he was helping to support Tully after all and his brother was as thick-bodied as he was. Tully himself had begun to grow bored with the lack of action. His mind was starting to wander and he was forcing Vir to stop every few minutes to allow him to examine whatever had caught his eye this time. "They weren't supposed to hide for real," Vir grumbled to himself as Tully jabbered at him with single, barely coherent words. Then, more brightly, Vir gently pulled Tully towards a door. "Let's go in here, Tully! Na'Lin might be inside!"

Tully perked up at the mention of Na'Lin and eagerly followed Vir's lead. They pushed open the door and stepped into an old, disused bedchamber. Vir gently helped Tully onto the floor and looked around, taking in the thick layer of dust, the old-fashioned dresses hanging in the open wardrobe, the faded bed linens, and the empty cradle. He wandered over to the vanity where he saw a small wedding portrait propped against the mirror. He recognized his father, Nofri, immediately. Although he couldn't remember him, Vir had seen plenty of old photographs of him. The bride next to him was neither Vanni nor Meriot, however. She was beautiful and young and with a sudden realization Vir knew he was looking at Zanobi. She was every bit as lovely as Iduna and Aunt Cipria had described her as.

Glancing around it looked as though the room hadn't been touched since her death. Except for the bed. The Centauri were not like humans; hospitals were for the sick and dying, not a place suitable to give birth. Childbirth was done at home, in the presence of their Lord and Master, a tradition that had been around for millennia. Zanobi would have had her child in that bed. It was where she would have died. Yet there were no blood stains. Someone had put on fresh sheets and ensured that the corners were all tucked in before closing this room forever. Why bother? Nothing else had been straightened. A book was lying open on a table, waiting for its owner to pick it up again from where she had left off. There was a pair of shoes scattered carelessly in front of a chair where Zanobi had kicked them off.

"There you are!" Na'Lin called out as she entered the room. "I was starting to worry when you didn't find us."

"Is this-" Vir began to ask, but was cut off by Na'Lin pulling Tully along with barely any effort. He had read about how strong the Narns were.

Na'Lin ignored any questions from Vir. She didn't even look at him. She just guided Tully down the hall, running a hand through his short-cropped hair and chattering on about how Aunt Cipria had made his favorite lunch, leaving Vir alone in their wake.

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Being forced to interact with Na'Lin for Tully's sake had the desired effect Vir was hoping for. His brothers and sister were slowing beginning to thaw to her presence and Versh had even started teasing her a little. Vir had been terrified the Narn was going to break his spine for some of the comments he made, but she took it sportingly.

They were all managing to tolerate each other well by the time Tully was put to bed. They had congregated to the main parlor - really, the only parlor left that was in any decent condition - to occupy themselves before bed. Na'Lin was hunched over in a chair, hand-stitching a leather chassis not unlike the one she was wearing. Ormano was lounging on the sofa across from her, an open book in hand but not really reading it. Vir frowned at the cards in his hand and glanced at the others at the table. For all their differences there was one thing Uncle Pagolo and Aunt Cipria could agree on: poker was the best thing to have come out of Earth. Vir had never been good at the game. He was almost out of chips and from the pout on Iduna's face he knew she was about to lose most of hers. The real battle was between Versh and Aunt Cipria, who were both sitting pretty on their large piles.

"I ran into Herdalia today while at the market," Aunt Cipria commented as she signalled for Vir to pass her a new card. "You remember Herdalia, don't you, Iduna? You two were such good friends before... well, before. Everyday she'd be over here, wanting to know if you could be let out lessons early and play. She used to be such a fat little thing. Well, she still is fat, but she also married well. Anyway, she seemed so pleased to know you were here visiting that I invited her for dinner tomorrow. Poor girl, I think she's lonely. This is such a small village and there are hardly any married women her own age to be friends with. I know, you're not married yet, but you practically are so it's the same thing really."

Iduna simply hummed in response, acting as though she was too focused on the game to give a proper response. There was a reason why Iduna was as bad at poker; everybody could see through her bluff. They noticed the way her shoulders suddenly stiffened at the mention of her upcoming wedding and the sharp tug of a frown before it was quickly smoothed away into a neutral expression. Aunt Cipria laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, unsure of what had happened but not wanting to upset her further. "Na'Lin! What are you doing all the way over there? That vest looks too big for you!"

"It's not for me," she replied. "I'm making this for Tully."

"Tully?" Ormano asked incredulously. "A leather vest? I know you Narns are the rough and tumble sort, but we Centauri prefer finer fabrics. We like our clothes to be made of silk, or cotton if you simply must make do."

"Do I have to assure every Centauri and tell you that, 'yes, of course you look pretty' like I must do with Cipria? Fine. Yes, yes, your clothes are all very lovely, though they don't offer much in the way of protection. The fat from your soft bellies could stop a sword better than your vest."

"Don't mock us," Versh called out as he laid out his cards. Three fives and two jacks. A full house. "I drank a lot of liquor to get this squishy!"

Aunt Cipria smirked as she spread out her own hand. The faces of Empress Mafalla, Empress Berenia, Empress Aenora, and Empress Mariya stared back at them. Four queens to Versh's full house. Aunt Cipria grinned as she began to rake in her earnings. "My ladies win! Don't worry, Versh, I'll go easy on you next round."

"Now that you've schooled the children, I think I'll head off to bed," Na'Lin announced, packing up her sewing.

"Don't you want to stay and watch me annihilate them? I think poor Vir is about done for."

Vir sighed as he prodded his five lonely chips.

"Maybe some other time. Goodnight."

They watched as she made her way up the stairway and as soon as they heard the door close Ormano was tossing his book to the side and scooting closer to the poker table. "Okay, tell me about Na'Lin. How much is Uncle paying her for? Why did he hire her in the first place? And why is she here of all places and not on Narn with the rest of those lizards?"

Aunt Cipria looked like a trapped animal and with a panicked rush downed the rest of her wine in one gulp. Although a cunning poker player, Aunt Cipria could be easily predictable in certain ways. She had a love for gossip and nothing got her tongue looser than a head full of alcohol. Which is why Ormano was so helpful in refilling their glasses all evening long, Vir realized.

"Well?" Iduna demanded. "Go on. You have to admit that this is a very unusual situation. You certainly couldn't have expected us to not question you about it."

"There isn't much to tell!" Aunt Cipria protested. "Tully simply got too big for me to handle on my own, so your Uncle hired Na'Lin."

"You mean Uncle travelled all the way to Narn to hire a savage when he simply could have gotten you a manservant? Not to mention he has slaves to spare."

"Don't be silly, your Uncle didn't go to Narn," she replied, ignoring the other point the siblings made. "Na'Lin had already been living on Centauri Prime for years before Pagolo offered her the position."

That was more than a little surprising.

"Why?" Vir blurted out. "I can't imagine it was very pleasant for her."

Aunt Cipria shot him a wry smile. "It wasn't very pleasant for her on Narn, either. She was born on Centauri Prime as a slave. She was about twelve, I believe, when the Centauri finally gave up the planet and emancipated the entire species. She had left immediately for what she had always seen as her true homeworld, but... she couldn't really speak the language very well and she didn't know the customs. The other Narns looked at her and saw a Centauri. She only stayed for a few years before she returned."

"She told you all this?" Ormano asked.

Aunt Cipria gave a slow, secretive smile like she knew something he didn't. "My dear, we've lived together for years. All alone, looking after Tully. Are you really so surprised?"

There was an inflection in her voice that Vir didn't understand but from the way Versh's eyebrows shot up and the dark glances shared between Iduna and Ormano he knew that this wasn't the case for the rest of his siblings. Aunt Cipria stood up from the table. "I think it's all time we went to bed. Goodnight."

They mumbled their replies and silently went up the stairs, Aunt Cipria following behind them. Vir lingered in the hallway after the others and stole a glance at his spinster aunt. She gave a nod and sweet smile before turning away, but not towards her own bedchamber. To Na'Lin's. With an embarrassed flush Vir quickly darted into his own room. He understood now. His insides squirmed as he laid down in the bed, unsure of how he felt about it.


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't see why we have to come along," Ormano complained as he and Vir trailed behind Iduna and Aunt Cipria, their arms laden with food. "This is hardly appropriate behavior for gentlemen of our station."

Aunt Cipria rolled her eyes as she and Iduna examined the aged spoo a vendor was selling. Vir didn't know how long it had been since he had visited the tiny village of Ilissus. It was a typical Centauri town, almost picturesque with its white-washed square homes and sloping roofs, bustling market filled with poor fishermen and farmers hawking their goods, and the ancient, cracked statue of Fontuo - the wild god of the seas - overlooking the plaza from his pillar in the center of the square. Looking up, Vir could see the old manor home perched imposingly on a distant hill; the black, craggy silhouette made the old fortress look quite a sight. Walking down those streets almost made Vir feel like he was stepping through time.

"Na'Lin should be the one carrying your things, not us," Ormano insisted, elbowing Vir in the arm and almost upsetting his own basket of food. "Right, Vir?"

"Well, I-" Vir started to say, only to be cut off by Aunt Cipria.

"Na'Lin can't take so much as a step within town without being accosted. Here I thought my nephews were a pair of strong, young men, not two whining little girls. If I'd known how hard it would be for you two to carry a few fruits and vegetables, I'd have rather left you at home."

"I just think if Uncle is going to pay Na'Lin to be your servant then you should treat her like one," Ormano stated ominously, hinting at the rather unconventional relationship between their aunt and the Narn. Vir felt himself blush hotly at his brother's impropriety. He admitted that the idea of a Centauri and a Narn - especially two females! - being engaged in such a way had unsettled him at first. But as he laid in his bed listening to that godforsaken howling, he couldn't help but think, 'Why not?' Aunt Cipria was a virtual prisoner inside that manor. She was past marriageable age, had no prospects, no family, no income, and anchored by her love for Tully. If she left she would have to leave his brother behind and become a Houseless drifter, and, eventually, either starving to death or selling herself into slavery. Na'Lin was just as trapped as his aunt. If the two found comfort in one another, then who was he to judge?

"Really, Ormano. You make it sound as though we Centauri have never taken a Narn to bed before," Iduna suddenly snapped, sounding strangely bitter to Vir's ears. Then, more darkly, she whispered, "A slave cannot say 'no' to his master."

Ormano recoiled as though slapped, looking at once horrified and chagrined. It wasn't often that Iduna and Ormano weren't in perfect agreement with each other. They stood together on most issues, that when one of them did disagree with the other it felt wrong somehow. Aunt Cipria's mouth dropped open in shock at Iduna's implication, before her face quickly turned a brilliant red, making her freckles stand out even more. "I would never-! It isn't like that between-"

"I don't mean to imply that what you have with Na'Lin is anything but loving," Iduna quickly responded. "It is simply a fact that the relationship between the Narns and the Centauri is much more complicated than what many people would wish it to be."

Aunt Cipria seemed mollified at that, but Ormano continued to stare down at the groceries in his arms, sullen and angry. He refused to look at their sister and seemed to be wrestling with some sort of crisis within his own mind. Vir could feel his own anger spiking at the tense silence that had settled over them. Something had happened while he and Versh had been away at school and they had as much a right as anyone to know what it was. Vir hated the way his younger brother refused to answer his questions and brushed him off like it was Vir that needed to be protected and coddled. He wanted to yell at them, demand answers, but he kept silent. They would just laugh at him. They always laughed when he got angry, like it was cute or something. It was better if he just kept quiet and pretended that he was happy.

Eventually, Vir began to notice the way their Aunt kept glancing behind them. At first he thought she was looking at Ormano, but then he realized her gaze was actually focused on something behind them. "What?" Vir asked, looking over his shoulder. He didn't see anything.

"That man has been following us for a while now," Aunt Cipria answered nervously. "I wonder what he wants?"

Vir finally saw the man Aunt Cipria was referring to. Although he wore the same rough clothes as the fishermen around him, there was something distinctly city-like in his air and manners. His siblings seemed to recognize him, for Iduna gasped at the sight of him while Ormano growled. "That bastard!" Ormano hissed. "I can't believe he's having you followed!"

Vir was completely lost at Ormano's meaning, but before he could ask his brother had dropped his Aunt's purchases on the ground and took off running. The man seemed to realize that it was him that Ormano was running towards, and he quickly spun on his heel and tried to take off. Ormano was quick, however, and tackled him to the ground. He was able to deliver one good punch to the man's face before the old, weatherbeaten fishermen were able to pull him off his hapless victim. Vir winced at the resounding crack! that echoed down the street and as Ormano was hauled off Vir could see the blood running down the man's broken nose. "You tell your master if I see you or any of his other slaves hanging around us again, I'll kill him!" Ormano shouted as he pulled at his arms, forcing the fishermen to free him.

Iduna was storming over to their brother before Vir could tell her not to. He and Aunt Cipria followed after her quickly and watched as she thrust Ormano's dropped packages back into his arms. "Get your temper under control," she hissed. "If you make things worse for me I swear I will never forgive you."

Vir and Aunt Cipria threw each other a look before quietly following the pair back towards the manor.

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Despite the excitement that Ormano caused earlier that day, the meal Aunt Cipria prepared went off without a hitch. Lady Herdalia Drusus arrived to a splendid little affair in her honor that evening. Herdalia was short and round and plump, but also very pretty and dressed in an exquisite gown adorned with the feathers of some exotic Earth bird. "Do you like it?" She gushed as she greeted Iduna. "I designed it myself. There isn't really anything else here to occupy myself with. My sister-wives play poker once a week and take tea in the afternoons; the whole republic could collapse and they'd still be doing the same routine. And that old husband of mine would prefer to lock himself away from the whole world if I didn't drag him out sometimes. A girl has to have something to do," she trailed off with an awkward laugh, as though embarrassed by her pasttime.

"It's lovely," Iduna assured. "Come and sit down. Everything is ready."

With the exception of Na'Lin and Tully, the entire household had gathered for the feast. Aunt Cipria had quietly made their own meals earlier that day and brought it up to their rooms. Neither one would have been welcomed at the dining table when guests were present. Na'Lin knew Uncle Pagolo would not want them making a spectacle of themselves; Vir supposed that in this case, "spectacle" in fact meant "existing."

They had just started settling in when Herdalia came out and said, "I heard about that ruffian stalking you in the marketplace. He was probably following you so that he could steal your purse. Luckily your brother was there, right?"

Iduna smiled weakly and nodded while Ormano stabbed at his Roopo balls with a little more gusto than was necessary.

Herdalia frowned at the lack of conversation, but charged in again like a valiant knight. "When is the wedding, Iduna? I'm so pleased that you were able to snare such a fine catch as Lord Romino! I heard about it last month, but no one seemed to know the date."

Iduna smiled that bitter smile that Vir was starting to hate. Such an expression didn't look right on his normally serene and gentle sister. "I am afraid that Lord Romino is having difficulty picking a day. He's a very busy man, after all. Something always comes up. And, anyway, I didn't catch him. He caught me."

Herdalia giggled at the joke but didn't seem to realize that Iduna's smile had grown hard and forced. "Poor thing. It must be hard. He has such a large estate it must be difficult managing all of it. I heard he's got over two hundred slaves. Is that true?"

Iduna's laugh was hollow as she answered. "Oh, yes, and I hear he's buying another one!"

A loud clang erupted through the dining room. Everyone turned their heads to see Ormano throw his fork onto his plate and stand up so fast that he nearly knocked his chair to the floor. "I'm sorry to have to interrupt dinner like this." He spoke so calmly, but anyone could see he was shaking with rage. "But I'm feeling unwell. It was nice meeting you, Herdalia." Then he was gone, striding from the room with hunched shoulders and quick, angry steps.

Vir reached over to take a quick gulp of wine. In situations like this, it was always better to pretend nothing happened and to get as drunk as possible. Herdalia apparently had the same idea for she was already flagging their aunt for another glass. After downing her glass, she sighed and looked Vir square in the eye as she said, "I've always been fascinated by this old manor. Do you know anything of its history?"

Vir had to applaud her for not giving up. Herdalia seemed to determined to salvage this evening in any way possible. Luckily, she struck upon a subject that didn't cause any offense. Aunt Cipria immediately perked up, always ready to supply someone with information and gossip, even if the gossip was old news by about six hundred years. "It was originally built by Emperor Uleas I and was passed down to his son, Uleas II, and then onto his daughter and only child, Mafalla. Since Uleas II had no heir it was decided by the other noble Houses that Lord Godo Froy was to succeed him. Probably this was because Lord Froy was barely even a teenager and the Houses would be able to easily control him. They even forced Mafalla to marry him, despite the fact she was twenty years his senior. However, after Uleas II died, Mafalla murdered her husband and, with an army of 10,000, took the capital and proclaimed herself Empress. Of course, none of the Houses accepted it. There has never been a legitimate female Emperor and I doubt there ever will be. Lord Vili fought off her army, pushing her back until she was forced to flee to this very castle. After a two month seige, Vili eventually took the manor and executed Mafalla in the great hall. He eventually became Emperor and gave this manor to his loyal lieutenant, Lord Cotto. It's been in the family ever since."

"I heard there are secret tunnels all over this castle," Herdalia confided.

Aunt Cipria nodded. "There are many escape hatches and hidden passageways that Mafalla had especially built. This was the base of her operations and she wanted to be able to escape it easily if need be. Unfortunately, most of those old passages have collapsed by now, or, at least, are unsafe to venture into."

"That's a shame!" Herdalia exclaimed. "I would have loved to explore some of them. What about the ghost? The villagers say that the ghost of Mafalla haunts this castle. At night, sometimes, we can hear a dreadful howling come from the castle."

Aunt Cipria let out a laugh, though it didn't sound particularly mirthful. "That's just the wind blowing through the old crags and small caves that dot the hillside."

"I don't know. It doesn't sound like wind."

"Don't tell me you belong to that 'cult of Mafalla'," Versh said with a chuckle and a roll of his eyes.

"Of course not," Herdalia mumbled into her glass, looking away. "It's illegal to perform the imperial rites for anyone other than an Emperor."

Versh continued on, as though he hadn't heard her. "I swear, ignorant hicks are always proclaiming someone to be a god. Just last year a farmer managed to grow a qummi that was as big as his head and all his neighbors proclaimed him to be the 'god of farming' and demanded that the Emperor deify him and accept him into the pantheon. Have you had any more trouble with those crazy cultists hanging around here, Aunt Cipria?"

"No," she said with a little laugh. "For some reason none of them ever want to stick around after having a little chat with Na'Lin. It's a shame, she's ever so friendly."

This time it was Herdalia who looked upset by the turn of conversation, because she quickly looked to Iduna and began to discuss the latest fashions that were coming out of the capital. Vir focused on his meal as he mulled over what Herdalia had said. So, it wasn't just him that could hear that terrifying howling.

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Vir woke with the sound of howling ringing through his ears.

Carefully, he stood up and slipped on his robe and slippers. Peeking out into the hall he saw that no one else had been disturbed. Fear began to well up in the pit of his stomach, making him feel clammy and nauseous, as he slunk out of his room and down the hall. He knew it was a stupid idea to begin with. It was probably just the wind, like Aunt Cipria had said, and he was going to get himself hurt exploring like this. There was a reason why most of the old manor was no longer lived in, after all.

Vir ventured away from the kept part of the house, down into the lower levels where the howling was becoming louder and stronger. Once and twice he tripped over large pieces of rubble. The stone and mortar had begun to crumble away and collapse. The old manor would probably be nothing more than some old ruins in a couple of decades.

He noticed that the deeper he went, the narrower the passageways became and how rough the stone looked. Gone were the decorative carvings the ancient builders had laid into nearly every stone; these tunnels were designed for flight, not to be lived in. Vir shivered as the howling took on a distinctly animal-like sound. There was no way wind could sound like that.

Vir came to a stop in front of a wooden door, nearly five inches thick. The howling was reverberating inside the mysterious chamber, high-pitched and screechy and hoarse. Whatever was in there, it was screaming. It reminded Vir of the time he had seen a farmer put down a lame tawloo; the sounds it had made shook him to his very core. Hesitantly, Vir slowly pushed open the door and stood in shock at what he saw.

It was a little Narn girl, or at least, what he thought was a Narn. She looked odd though, almost misshapen. Her head lacked the elongated skull of most Narns and was, instead, rounded and smooth like a Centauri's or a Human's. She was spotted, like all members of her species, but the coloring was... off. Instead of the garish orange color, her skin was a very pale peach. And there was hair, brown-colored hair. The moment her eyes fell upon him she bared her sharp canines -like a Centauri's- and with an enraged scream she launched herself, her hands outstretched, ready to rend him from limb-to-limb.

Vir knew he was screaming, but he couldn't hear himself. Her hands dug into his robe, shredding it, tearing at the skin, then suddenly the door was closed and Vir was on his back looking at the enraged face of Na'Lin. Gingerly, Vir felt his stomach. He was bleeding, but only lightly. She'd only scratched him. He looked back up at the snarling Narn above him. "Get up," she commanded, grabbing him by his robe and hauling him to his feet with little effort. She shoved him against the wall and hissed, "You are not to speak of this to anyone. Go. Now."

Vir fled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how old Vir is supposed to be in the series. I mean, Stephen Furst was in his forties, but Vir always seemed so young and naïve to me, so I went with the idea that he is fairly young at the beginning of the series. By the way, for those of you who are curious about the title: Pasiphaë is the name of the mother of the Minotaur and the "Pasiphaë's Baby" is a play on "Désirée's Baby", a short Southern Gothic tale by Kate Chopin that was the inspiration for this fic. Anyway, this is the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Vir wrapped his arms around his knees and sat huddled in the middle of his bed the entire night. He wasn't sure what frightened him more: the angry, wild creature that had attacked him or that his own aunt was keeping a young teenage girl locked up beneath the house. Who was she anyway? It was obvious that she was some sort of Narn-Centauri hybrid. He had heard that Narn hybrids were possible. Something about their DNA being highly mutable. Everyone knew that the Narns had been trying to establish a breeding program with Human telepaths for years now. They wouldn't bother with it if it was impossible, right? But the girl wasn't half-Human, she was half-Centauri. The only likely explanation was that she was the product of some illicit affair between Na'Lin and a local villager, but Vir didn't think that was the case. Na'Lin doted on Tully, how could she then turn around and act so monstrously to her own daughter? No, she was someone else's child. Vir couldn't think of whose child she might be, though. Even when the Narns were slaves, no Centauri would openly admit to having an affair with one. They would be laughed at and mocked; poor Lord Such-and-Such was so ugly and pathetic that only a Narn would let him into her bed.

There were the old jokes about Narn-Centauri hybrids, of course, from the old days of the occupation. He hadn't actually thought that such hybrids existed, though. He simply assumed that they had been made up for the sake of a good punchline. The set-up would invariably involve a Narn-Centauri girl trying to find a husband, only to discover her naked body repulsed both species in different ways. In some versions of the joke she would achieve victory by tricking a Centauri lord into thinking she was a full-blooded Centauri woman. Other times the lord would get her back by sending his trusted Narn manservant to do the deed on the wedding night instead, the poor girl not realizing the deception until she turned on the lights and saw just who exactly her lover was. Vir was never very good with jokes; Versh could have told it much better. Vir looked at his brother drooling peacefully into his pillow. He thought about waking him up and telling him what he saw, but then decided against it. Versh may have been the elder twin, but Vir was often the one who had take responsibility for him. Versh wouldn't know what to do any more than Vir did; worse yet, he would probably panic and end up causing a scandal. Besides, Na'Lin would probably tear him limb from limb if he told.

Vir collapsed onto his bed and buried himself underneath the blankets like a child afraid of the dark. How was he going to face Na'Lin again without cracking under the pressure? Iduna would be able to see something was wrong the moment he came down for breakfast in the morning. She'd start to ask questions, badgering him until he finally broke down. He wasn't good at keeping secrets. He would just get nervous and start sweating a lot. Vir remained curled up underneath the thin quilt until he could see the morning light filtering in through the holes in his blankets. He could hear Versh rustling around in the room. All of a sudden a hand slapped him hard on the bum. Vir let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp as peals of laughter echoed through the room. "Time to get up!" Versh sang out. "What's the matter? You got a hangover? Best way to get rid of that is to confront it head on! Come on, up!"

"Um, I think I'm coming down with something," Vir called out feebly. Even the thought of facing the others made his hearts beat wildly inside his chest. He pulled the blanket tighter around his face. "I think it would be best if I stayed in bed today."

"Alright, I'll see if Na'Lin can't send you something up."

"No! I-I mean I don't want her or Aunt Cipria to get sick or anything. I'll go down later and get something myself later today."

"If you say so." Versh didn't sound too convinced, but he left anyway.

Vir breathed a sigh of relief. For a few minutes he continued to lay there, gathering up his courage to face the day. When he finally peeked out from under the covers he nearly let out a scream. Aunt Cipria was standing in the middle of the open doorway with a covered tray in her hands. "I know Versh said you didn't want company, but I couldn't help myself." She smiled at him, but Vir could tell that it was forced. "I brought breakfast. Don't worry, it isn't poisoned." She set the tray on the small bedside table next to him and closed the door. "Na'Lin told me what happened," she said softly as she came to sit next to him on the bed. "I'm not a monster. At least, I like to think I'm not. If I could go back and change the past I would, but it's too late now..."

Vir sat up and leaned forward. "Who is she?" He asked.

Aunt Cipria took a deep breath; she looked like she was about to face her execution. "Look at me, Vir," she commanded. "Don't you think I look ugly?"

Vir didn't know what she was getting at, but he opened his mouth to deny it. It was true that she was odd-looking, but he would never call his aunt ugly. Aunt Cipria didn't let him speak, but plowed on, a wry smile blossoming across her face. "You don't find my blunt teeth strange? How about my large freckles? Why don't we just call them what they are: spots. Don't you see the resemblance?"

Vir felt like he had been punched. All the air left him and he could only gape uncomprehendingly at his aunt. "She's your's?" He gasped, but Cipria only laughed.

"Oh, no, she's your sister."

Aunt Cipria must have seen the confusion in his face because she smiled and continued on. "Her name is Rahala. She was the only child of your father Nofri and my sister Zanobi. The problem... the problem laid with her. My family used to have a plantation on Narn, before the uprising. I don't know if the Master of the House had a favored slave that he took to bed with him, or if one of his wives was carrying on a dangerous affair with a Narn male. Either way, their blood became mixed with ours. For the most part, we looked like Centauri. Maybe there were a few oddities here and there." She gestured to her freckles. "But mostly we were indistinguishable from other Centauri. So much so that neither I nor my sister knew of our true lineage until Rahala was born. It wasn't hard to see that she was part-Narn. Nofri was enraged when he discovered that he had married a Narn. He felt like he had been tricked. He murdered her and then killed himself, not out of any sense of guilt but in shame that he had... sullied himself by dallying with a Narn. Pagolo and I were the only ones who knew the truth. He told everyone that Zanobi had died in childbirth and that Nofri joined her in grief. Your Uncle... he wrestled with what to do with your sister for a long time. He thought about having Rahala killed, but in the end he couldn't bear to have the murder of an infant on his conscious. I was eighteen at the time and terrified that I would be cast out into the streets. My family is poor and I had no prospects. If anyone found out what I was... So, when Pagolo told me to lock her away in the tunnels so that no one could ever find her, I did. I'm ashamed of that now, but at the time I thought I had no choice. She was fed and clothed, but she was deprived of light, love, basic interaction. She became like a wild animal. She can't speak, can't reason; when she's frightened she'll attack and she's scared of everything. She became so big and violent that I could no longer control her; that's when Pagolo hired Na'Lin. He couldn't bear to let a Centauri slave see our family shame, but who cared about the opinions of a Narn? If she ever tried to tell anyone, who would believe her?" Aunt Cipria let out a broken noise that sounded caught between a sob and a laugh. "I wish I had done something different, but even now I'm not sure what I could have done."

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After Cipria left, Vir was left with his own thoughts. The thought of that poor girl spending her entire life alone in a dark cell sickened him. It didn't matter who or what she was, no creature should have to live like that. Aunt Cipria had said that she was beyond help now, and even that were true, there was no way that Vircould leave her down there and not hate himself for it. There were only two vidcom units that had been installed in the ancient manor. One was in Ormano's bedroom, the grandest of the guest rooms still intact, and the other was in the parlor. He could hear Ormano moving around inside his bedchamber through the walls. That left the parlor. Hopefully the others wouldn't be lingering around in there.

Vir crept downstairs and quietly entered the parlor, peeking out the wide bay windows as he walked in. He could see Aunt Cipria, Iduna, and Na'Lin all out in the garden, playing some sort of game with Tully. Versh was farther away, lazing in sun with a glass of wine in his hand and nearly asleep. He kept a careful eye on them and an ear out for Ormano as he called up Uncle Pagolo.

It only took a few minutes before his uncle's face appeared on the screen. "Yes, Vir, what is it?" He asked dully, like there were a million things more important than his nephew.

Vir surprised himself with how forceful his voice sounded. "Release Rahala."

All the color drained away from his Uncle's face and for once he really, truly looked at Vir and saw him as a person and not just the idiot nephew that he had to put up with until his majority. "How do you know about her?" He demanded, his eyes glancing wildly around him in his empty study, just in case anyone had heard them.

"Never mind how I know, just... do something," Vir pleaded. "It's wrong and sick and I can't just go on with my life knowing about this."

"You would have me cause a scandal?" Pagolo hissed.

"No, of course not, but there's got to be something else we can do! Not this!"

"She's an animal, Vir."

"She's part-Narn, that doesn't make-"

Vir heard the bushes next to the window rustle restlessly, making his hearts skip a beat. Was his brother playing hide-and-seek in the bushes? He glanced outside, but Tully and the girls had gone. For a moment he wondered wildly about where they could have went to, but he could hear their voices farther away. They were still somewhere outside then.

"I don't mean it in that way," Uncle Pagolo interrupted. "Whatever she was before, it doesn't matter. She's an animal, now. There's nothing left. What would you have me do, Vir? Send her to an institution? I can't do that without people finding out who she is. Send her to Narn and let them deal with her? That would just give them another excuse to demand more reparations. Even if you did let her out, it's not like she would willingly leave. That cell is the only thing she knows. Taking her out now would just traumatize her further."

"She's your niece, she's-"

Before Vir could finish a scream erupted from somewhere outside. Uncle Pagolo took the opportunity to sever the call and just in time because Ormano came bounding down the stairs a few seconds later. "What's going on?" He demanded.

Vir could only shrug helplessly and follow his younger brother out into the garden. What they saw caused Vir to jerk back in surprise. Na'Lin had some unknown Centauri man pinned to the ground, her knee digging into the small of his back, right in-between the space where his lower attributes began. A terrifying position to be in, but not a painful one. The others were all standing around the pair in shock and confusion, Tully a little farther away with his hands against his ears and his eyes squeezed shut. As Vir got closer he could see that it was the same servant that had trailed them through the market just the other day, his nose bandaged and oddly bent from where Ormano had hit him. "You," Ormano hissed. His voice was so twisted with hate that he almost sounded demonic.

The servant just grinned up at him, like he knew some terrible secret that Ormano didn't. "I was just on my way to see your brother-in-law when your delightful slave got a little overzealous." Na'Lin shifted her knee slightly to one side, causing the servant to jerk at the sudden pressure against a man's most sensitive area. Or, at least, one of them. His smile became a little more forced, but he didn't falter as he said, "Or, I should say, your former brother-in-law. Looks like the wedding is off."

"He can't back out, not unless he wants to be brought to court and his entire family name to be dragged through the mud," Iduna threatened. Vir glanced at her at that. Breaking a marriage contract wasn't an easy thing to do, but neither was it really shameful or criminal.

The servant laughed. "You'd never win. You can't ruin something that was already tainted to begin with."

Ormano lifted his foot and was about to send it crashing down into the man's face when Versh wrapped his giant arms around him and hauled him back. Ormano's feet kicked uselessly in the air as Versh held him close to his chest, high above the ground.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Na'Lin hissed.

"Only that no one would believe that girl was raped, not with the information I just found out." The servant gave a little nod to Vir. With a sickening horror, Vir realized that it must have been him he had heard in the bushes. He had been watching Iduna, trying to find something that could used against her, when he overheard his conversation with Pagolo. Then Vir's mind caught up with the first thing he said and for a moment he couldn't breathe.

Versh dropped Ormano, sending their brother crashing to the ground. "What?"

Iduna didn't look at any of them, but instead kept her hard gaze trained on the man. "I was attacked by Lord Liore Romino. Uncle Pagolo knew that no other man would take me as their wife and so offered to drop all charges if he married me. Liore agreed, though he wasn't pleased with the match. He said I wasn't the kind of girl that men like him married."

"Just because he raped you, doesn't mean you have to marry him!" Aunt Cipria protested.

Iduna turned her ice-cold glare onto their aunt. "And end up like you instead? You're an embarrassment. I'm not going to live that life." She looked back down. "Now, what exactly was it that you've learned about me?"

Vir shrank back. One glance from Na'Lin at his guilty face was apparently all she needed to confirm what it was that the servant had found out. "It doesn't matter," she stated quickly. "He won't be able to tell, whatever it is."

"What, are you going to kill me?" The servant mocked. "My lord knows where I am. There will be no place on Centauri Prime that you can run to that his reach does not extend."

"Then that ends today," Ormano bit out as he climbed to his feet. "I'm not going to let him destroy my family!"

"What do you mean by that?" Iduna demanded. "Ormano, what are planning?"

"Just... Just let me do this, Iduna," Ormano said desperately as he pulled away. "I can't let him get away with it. You can't just expect me to sit around and take it like-"

"Like what? Like a woman? And what about what I want, Ormano? Or are you going to be just another man who doesn't care about what I have to say?"

Ormano shook his head, pain etched across his features as he backed away from the group. "I can't." He took off running before anyone could say anything, back towards the village.

Iduna let out a frustrated scream that quickly turned into a sob.

"What's he going to do?" Vir asked quietly.

"He's going to challenge him to a duel, like he wanted to from the beginning, all because of his stupid honor! He's going to get himself killed!"

"If we hurry, we might be able to catch him," Aunt Cipria offered feebly, knowing full well that when Ormano set his mind on something not even the gods could stop him.

"I'll keep an eye on Tully and our... guest," Na'Lin offered, digging her knee more sharply into his back and other sensitive areas.

Iduna nodded and hurried off, her broken family following close behind.

The journey back to the capital seemed to take years. Iduna spent the entire shuttle ride on the vidcom, desperately calling every friend and advisor Romino had in hopes of finding out where he was, but all they would say was that he was "indisposed". Vir kept telling himself that Ormano only had a few minutes headstart, there was no way that anything could have happened in those few precious minutes. Except arrange a meeting with Romino, someplace where Iduna would never think to look. Romino would do it too, his honor depended on it. Aunt Cipria clutched his hand tightly as the shuttle took them to Romino's grand estate, and then onto the palace gardens, to dueling arenas and the private clubs that Romino frequented. They turned up nothing at every turn.

Finally, they went home only to see Pagolo's slaves adorning their house with all those brilliant and colorful and joyous decorations that were meant to lead a man into a happier afterlife and Ormano's body, dressed in his finest, laid out on the table like a king.

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Vir sat next to Aunt Cipria as they watched the drunken revelers offer Ormano's soul to Morgoth."Na'Lin's taken care of Romino's servant. Don't ask me how, all she would do was lick her lips and burp like she just ate the best meal of her life, like I don't know any better. I'm fairly certain she paid him off, threatening him the entire time, of course. Also...I've talked to Pagolo," she said, as though she had been waiting to say this. "He's arranged for you to be the attaché to someone named Mollari."

"Far away from Centauri Prime, I suspect," he muttered bitterly.

"Yes, on Babylon 5."

"He wants to get rid of me," Vir sighed. "Because of what I know."

Aunt Cipria nodded. "Yes, but Vir... it really is for the best. I know it sounds cruel, but it would be worse if we tried to take her out now. She wouldn't understand what was happening."

"Like how that old manor is your cage? Would you even leave it if you had the chance? Or would you be too afraid?" He asked, letting the bitterness creep into his voice.

"Vir," his Aunt said sharply, causing him to blush in embarrassment. He hadn't meant to say that. It was rude and unforgivable. He looked down at his big, awkward hands because it was easier than seeing the fear in everyone's faces. Lord Romino was regaling the others with the tale of his triumph, Iduna by his side and smiling like her mouth was full of glass. Versh sat in a corner, not even pretending to look happy. He looked like a scared little boy. Now that Ormano was dead, Versh was now the late Nofri Cotto's first-ranked son, second only to old Lord Cotto himself in importance. That is, if Pagolo didn't challenge him for the succession. And Vir knew his brother, he knew that he would give it up without a fight, because the thought of being responsible for someone else terrified him.

And Uncle Pagolo... Uncle Pagolo always did what he thought was best and never once looked back at his mistakes.

Aunt Cipria sighed and said more softly, "Vir, I know it's hard, but you have to trust me. You're young and sensitive, but just because you think something is wrong doesn't mean that it is. There are other factors involved; nothing is as simple as 'good' or 'bad'. Trust us when we say that the decision we made was the only right one."

Later, after he became the ambassador to Minbar, his aunt sent him a message. It was simple and to the point: Rahala is dead. Lung infection. Couldn't get close enough to treat her. Na'Lin sends her condolences. I'm sorry.

Vir locked the letter inside his desk, realizing with a sickening feeling that he should have done something. He never should have allowed someone else to decide how he should feel and what his morals should be, not Londo and not his family. With an angry sigh he snatched up a piece of paper that had been placed on his desk that morning. It was a forged document, written no doubt by a Narn, claiming that a shipment of 'political prisoners' was to be sent to a camp on the colony in Quadrant 1. Vir knew that there was no camp; most likely it was part of an escape route. Vir signed it anyway with the name Abrahamo Lincolni.

Fin


End file.
